


Piece of Work

by Merlin Missy (mtgat)



Category: Robot Series - Isaac Asimov
Genre: Gen, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 08:21:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2844395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mtgat/pseuds/Merlin%20Missy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Sentiment is humanity's downfall," Susan told the impassive face before her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Piece of Work

**Author's Note:**

  * For [taliahale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taliahale/gifts).



"Sentiment is humanity's downfall," Susan told the impassive face before her. She made a last adjustment to the circuit panel in the robot's neck and closed the panel with a neat click. "Empires and businesses, they all fall because a heart bled too much, or baser parts lusted too blindly. You are better than this."

The robot's eyes glowed faintly with life. US Robots had developed another new model to test out the increasingly far-fetched theories coming out of R&D. Dr. Calvin was technically the head of R&D once more, but as of late she'd buried herself in her own projects. Retirement was for lesser minds. This model had intrigued her, against her better instincts. The JN series had proved useful, if only to wipe the smirk from the face of a certain colleague. Of course the concept of a so-called female robot would not be abandoned merely because the purpose of the Jane series had been served.

"We call this one the SZ series." That lout had his smirk back already, mindless of Madarian's still-recent demise. "We named her for you, Susan."

Sentiment, she scoffed. Give a nod to the old woman who'd built US Robots before sending her out to pasture again. The young people would feel warm. The ones who knew her could laugh behind their hands at the joke.

Susan had her own joke in mind.

Her brain was as sharp as ever, even though her body slowly failed around her. Her experiments with parallel mapping of human brain to robotic had yielded useful data. The final experiment would never be authorized by the muckity mucks on the board, as if she had time for them.

The SZ-7 was her own prototype, constructed in her lab under their noses. "A new pathway theory," Susan had written in her official reports. "Minor variation on the model 6."

Blank. SZ-7 was completely blank. Her positronic pathways, more advanced than those of her sisters, lay dormant. Her metal heart kept time for nothing, and would never be bent by an attractive colleague nor by a manipulative chairman. She was pure logic, immutable and brilliant and practically immortal.

Her assistant had been sent home. Susan hobbled with her cane over to the seat where the leads waited. She attached each to her forehead with the same sticky jelly they'd used on the guinea pigs last week. She closed her eyes, pressing the activation switch with one determined finger.

She felt the beat of her heart, racing under her skin, felt the perfect rhythm of her heart, beating under her shell.

Susan opened her eyes, activating them with a bright glow. Across the room, a form slumped in a chair. She felt nothing, but if she could, her dazzling new brain told her it would be joy.


End file.
